The objective of the course is to develop a strategic framework to pursue new waves of business opportunities in emerging markets. The course will start by analyzing the comparative development of the most relevant countries. Subsequent sessions will explore common patterns that tend to occur as these countries go through similar levels of economic development: the evolution of the base of consumers from the rural poor to the urban middle class, and commonalities and differences in how internal consumption evolves across countries and cultures as people prioritize their needs and wants. We will discuss other key related factors such as the evolution of industry structure and retail channels, the availability of consumer financing, and how government policy may alter the growth patterns in specific industries. The final sessions will focus on strategic implications for companies, entrepreneurs and investors striving to capture and nurture opportunities in emerging markets, and discussion of successful cases.

The structure of the course will be based primarily on lectures and class discussions. It will be complemented by selected outside speakers to discuss their company’s experience pursuing growth in emerging markets. Evaluation will be based on class participation and one individual paper analyzing a specific emerging market opportunity utilizing the framework developed in the course.

Rajeev Kohli is a professor in the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. He has a doctoral degree in Applied Economics and Decision Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania; an MBA from Northern Illinois University; and a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from BITS, Pilani, India. His research interests are in models of consumer preference and choice, techniques for new product development...

Professor Martinez is a Senior Lecturer at Columbia Business School. He combines teaching and research with extensive global experience doing strategy consulting, with particular expertise in emerging markets. He gives the Catching Growth Waves in Emerging Markets course in both the MBA and EMBA programs and the Defining and Developing wining Strategic Capabilities course to the MBAs. He has also given the EMBA...